Strain dependence of airway hyperresponsiveness reflects differences in eosinophil localization in the lung

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology Vol. 281; no. 2; pp. 394 - L402
• Main Authors: Takeda, K, Haczku, A, Lee, J. J, Irvin, C. G, Gelfand, E. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.08.2001
• Subjects: Animals; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - immunology; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - pathology; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - physiopathology; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - cytology; Eosinophils - pathology; Female; Immunization; Lung - pathology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Ovalbumin - immunology; Reference Values; Species Specificity
• ISSN: 1040-0605; 1522-1504
• DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.2001.281.2.l394

1  Division of Cell Biology, Department of Pediatrics, and 3  Department of Medicine, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80206; and 2  Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona 85259 Different strains of mice exhibit different degrees of airway hyperresponsiveness after sensitization to and airway challenge with ovalbumin. Antibody responses in BALB/c mice far exceeded those in C57BL/6 mice; in contrast, although responsiveness to methacholine was much higher in the BALB/c mice, the number of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was higher in C57BL/6 animals. Sensitized and challenged BALB/c mice developed increases in lung resistance and decreases in dynamic compliance after methacholine or 5-hydroxytryptamine inhalation. C57BL/6 mice only exhibited significant levels of responsiveness when dynamic compliance was monitored in response to inhaled 5-hydroxytryptamine. Eosinophils accumulated in the peribronchial and peripheral lung tissue in BALB/c mice but were distributed diffusely in the peripheral lung tissue of C57BL/6 mice. Thus, in addition to differences in antibody responses and cholinergic agonist reactivity, differences in the responses of large and small airways may reflect the selective distribution of eosinophils in lung tissue. strain variability